Tag: Nigeria - Page 317 - African News Today

Judicial Panel Turns Down LCC’s Request to Assume Control of Lekki Tollgate

3Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Judicial Panel Turns Down LCC’s Request to Assume Control of Lekki Tollgate

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry setup to unravel the incidence that took place at Lekki toll gate area of Lagos State on October 20, 2020 has refused the request by operators of the tollgate, Lekki Concession Company (LCC), to resume activities at the tollgate. In a brief ruling on Tuesday, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, Chairman of the panel, said the tollgate plaza would remain shut down. According to the judge, the panel might need to pay subsequent visits to the tollgate plaza after watching the video footage obtained from a surveillance camera turned in by the LCC on Tuesday. The decision followed the plea by Rotimi Seriki, counsel for LCC, for the company to take possession of the tollgate plaza to enable an evaluation of the level of damage done to the facility for the purpos...

Stop the Killings in Oyigbo, Rivers State – Amnesty International Tells Nigerian Military

2Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Crime, Human Rights, Justice, News, Nigeria, Violence

Stop the Killings in Oyigbo, Rivers State – Amnesty International Tells Nigerian Military

Amnesty International, a global human rights body has asked the Military to exercise restraint and stop the alleged killings taking place in Oyigbo, Rivers State. The body disclosed this in a series of tweets on its verified Twitter handle, @AmnestyNigeria, on Sunday. It said, “Amnesty International is receiving disturbing reports from Oyigbo Rivers State. “Despite the existing curfew, soldiers are allegedly invading homes, some residents reported seeing dead bodies on the streets, allegedly shot by soldiers. “We are calling on the Military authorities to exercise restraint and stop the killings”. https://twitter.com/AmnestyNigeria/status/1322930075801628674 The military had said it was carrying out an operation to capture members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)...

Opinion: The “Terrorists” of IPOB – Femi Fani-Kayode

2Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria

Opinion: The “Terrorists” of IPOB – Femi Fani-Kayode

I watched my brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s interview with my brother Chief Dele Momodu on Thursday evening and I was inspired and encouraged. Nnamdi spoke with such eloquence, passion, courage and strength. He is brilliant and irrepressible. He cannot be underestimated or ignored. Every African should listen to that interview. He cleared a lot of misconceptions about himself and made his position clear on so many issues. Most important of all is the fact that he had the decency and humility to tender his regrets and apologies where he may have got things wrong. That is the mark of a great leader. President Muhammadu Buhari I have loved and trusted him dearly ever since the first day we met and spoke for 3 hours when we were both incarcerated at Kuje prison in 2016. From the firs...

#EndSARS: ‘We Had Option to Shutdown Social Media’ – Minister Says as He Advocates Cyberspace Regulation

2Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Youths

#EndSARS: ‘We Had Option to Shutdown Social Media’ – Minister Says as He Advocates Cyberspace Regulation

Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development said that even though the Federal Government had the option to shut down the social media space to quell the #EndSARS protests that took place last month, it chose to allow the freedom of expression. The minister who disclosed this while featuring on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme said there was need to ensure control of the cyberspace. Dare said other nations had undertaken measures to assert some level of limitation over the social media space but Nigeria remained an exception. The minister while admitting that the social media have enormous benefits, said that as a country, we must start to think of how to curtail fake news. There must be some level of responsibility and some level of punishment to those that...

Youth Investment Fund: Beneficiaries to be Given N250,000 – N5m – Finance Minister

2Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Finance, News, Nigeria, Youths

Youth Investment Fund: Beneficiaries to be Given N250,000 – N5m – Finance Minister

The Federal Government has said that beneficiaries of the N75bn Nigeria Youth Intervention Fund (NYIF) will be given between N250,000 to N5m. This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed on Saturday. Ahmed had previously noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration created a youth fund of N25bn as part of measures to tackle the #EndSARS protests and other related youth agitations in the country. The minister stated that the Federal Government would increase the fund to N75bn within a three years period. Ahmed at a meeting with the 77 District Heads and religious leaders, at Kaduna State University on Saturday said that each youth that benefits from the fund would receive between N250,000 to N5m. She who said the am...

It’s Time to Carry Out Well-defined Restructuring – El-Rufai

1Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Photos

It’s Time to Carry Out Well-defined Restructuring – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has said the time has come for Nigeria to be restructured I order to give more control to the state governments. El-Rufai who spoke at public lecture to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Arewa House on Saturday in Kaduna said the restructuring would be profitable to achieving sustaining development. He said there was need to give states more control over certain resources. The APC committee on restructuring which was setup to establish the party’s stance on restructuring in 2018 made recommendations for achieving true federalism in a restructured Nigeria. The committee headed by governor el-Rufai recommended that states should have more control over the police, oil and gas resources, minerals, correctional facilities, stamp duties, regi...

Police Release 11-year-old Boy Detained for Alleged Involvement in Edo Police Attack

1Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Crime, News, Nigeria, Security, Violence, Youths

Police Release 11-year-old Boy Detained for Alleged Involvement in Edo Police Attack

The Police force in Edo State has freed an 11-year-old boy identified as Gift Osayuhi who was arrested last week over alleged involvement in the attack of a police station in the state. Osayuhi was arrested for taking part in the attack of Oba Market Police Station at Evbuotubu area of Benin City by hoodlums. He was accused to have put on the uniform of a police sergeant and proclaimed the Inspector-General of Police after the attack on the police station. Kola Edokpayi, coordinator of a Benin-based human rights group, Talakawa Parliament, who secured the released of the minor said they were disturbed when the police paraded the boy. Edokpayi said Osayuhi’s aspiration was to join the Nigeria Police and eventually rise to the position of the Inspector-General of Police in the fu...

Lekki Tollgate Shooting: Why We Won’t Disclose Identity of Soldiers Deployed – Army

1Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Crime, Lagos News, News, Nigeria, Security, Violence

Lekki Tollgate Shooting: Why We Won’t Disclose Identity of Soldiers Deployed – Army

The Nigerian Army has said that it will reveal the identities of its personnel who were deployed in Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020. This was disclosed by acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations and 81 Division’s spokesperson, Major Osoba Olaniyi. Amnesty international and other groups have claimed varied number of casualties resulting from the Lekki toll gate area shooting though the Lagos State government claim only one person was killed. The admission followed an earlier statement that no life was lost in the shooting. The Nigerian army had initially denied involvement in the shootings through a series of tweets. However, the army later stated that its personnel were the ones who carried out the operation, noting that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State ...

Implementation of New Electricity Tariff to Resume Next Week

31Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Cost of Living, News, Nigeria, Power

Implementation of New Electricity Tariff to Resume Next Week

Special adviser to the president on infrastrure, Ahmed Zakari has said that electricity distribution companies (DiscCos) will resume implementation of the new electricity tariff next week. A news service-based reflective tariff (SRT) structure was implemented on September 1 by the DisCos after approval by President Muhammadu Buhari. The new tariff was halted after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) kicked against the hike. The organised labour called for a nationwide strike to protest the new electricity tariff and the hike in petrol pump price. However, the strike was suspended at the eleventh hour after the organised labour reached an agreement with the federal government to suspend the implementation of the new tariff pending the findings of...

Challenge us to Sit up, Stop Giving us Awards, Wike Charges Journalists

31Oct

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria

Challenge us to Sit up, Stop Giving us Awards, Wike Charges Journalists

Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has charged journalist to demand accountability from government office holders, rather than reward them with awards on the basis of relationship. He disclosed this in Port Harcourt, Rivers capital on Friday when he received the national leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) who paid him a curtesy visit at the government house. Kelvin Ebiri, special assistant to the governor on media, in a communique quoted Wike to have said there was need for journalists to intensify efforts as the strong voice and conscience of the society, The Cable reports. He said, “What I have seen of you is that you praise us and give us award because of friendship. That’s not the way it should be. Challenge us — the people in authority — and we will si...